Homecoming: An Alastair Stone Urban Fantasy Novel (Alastair Stone Chronicles Book 23)

by R. L. King

  That was a damned good point. Stone shuddered again as he thought about what the arrogant, powerful Talented might do if they discovered a fresh new world ripe for the taking. Especially if they figured out how to do the same thing he did—access Calanar’s magical energy from here. “You’re right. But I can’t just let you close that rift. Not without more study. I’ll help you, if you agree not to do anything rash. I don’t want the Talented here either, but I also don’t want you blowing up half of Colorado by taking things too fast.”

  Harrison’s expression was almost—almost—frustrated. “Have you ever seen me do anything without thought, Dr. Stone?”

  Well, I did see you blow away a dozen people once… But he didn’t say that. “I suppose not—though sometimes I haven’t got a clue how your thought processes work.”

  “Please drop the illusion. If you do not, I will break it, and that hardly seems a productive use of either time or energy. We both agree the portal must be closed.”

  Stone sighed. He couldn’t argue, because Harrison was right. “Fine. I’ll drop it if you’ll give me your word you won’t close it until we’re in agreement about the proper method to do it.”

  Harrison held his gaze, then inclined his head. “I agree.”

  Well. That was it, then. Stone concentrated, pacing around the edges of the illusion. It took him only a few seconds to take hold of its underpinnings and dismantle it. This was no simple illusion; it was actually more of a ward, but a specialized one designed only to provide a framework to hold other spells. Simpler than a full-scale ward, but more complex than a basic illusion.

  Harrison watched in silence as he worked. He continued to show no reaction, but Stone could tell he was interested in the process.

  “Almost there,” he murmured. “Just a couple more spots, and…There.”

  The illusion dropped away. To normal sight, nothing appeared to change, but Stone had been working with magical sight active. The massive, pulsing rift appeared between the trees.

  Harrison studied it. “It is larger than I expected.”

  “Yes, I’ve never seen a bigger one. I’m not sure whether the Talented were sloppy, or of they’ve got plans to bring large numbers of people through. What I want to know is how they even found out about us. There’s no way they could have seen you popping around, is there?”

  “No.” Harrison resumed pacing the portal’s perimeter, remaining a few steps back. “It is possible—probable, in fact—that they were not specifically searching for Earth.” He stopped, his posture growing tense again.

  Stone stopped too. “What is it?”

  He continued staring at the portal. “I wonder…”

  “What?”

  Harrison seemed almost not to be talking directly to him. “If they were seeking another dimension—merely testing out theories—it is possible…” He shook his head as if clearing it. “Come. I won’t wait any longer. This portal must be closed.”

  “What are you talking about?” Stone demanded. “You’ve got an idea. Out with it.”

  “It’s nothing. Not relevant at the moment.” He turned back to the portal and fixed a probing gaze on it.

  Stone shook his head. He could learn a lot from Harrison—if the two of them could put up with each other for longer than a few hours at a stretch. Not for the first time, he wondered if he had the same effect on his friends, frustrating them because his thoughts moved so fast he didn’t want to slow down for anyone else to catch up. He made a mental note to keep that in mind once this was over. Right now, he’d better take a look at the portal before Harrison grew impatient with him and took matters into his own hands.

  The portal wasn’t a complex one, but closing it would take time. Stone focused on its edges, more convinced than ever that whoever had created it had done it from the other side, not this one. That could make closing it potentially dangerous if not done with care, especially since the other side of it was currently in the middle of a raging manastorm.

  “Okay,” he said. “I see what we need to do now.”

  “As do I.”

  Stone flashed him a sharp glance. “Maybe we’d better make sure we’re on the same page. Because if you try to throw power at this, you’ll end up risking the manastorm blowing through into this world. You see that, right?”

  “I do.” Harrison’s tone remained even.

  “It won’t take too long—maybe half an hour if we’re extremely careful—but it needs to be done in a specific sequence.”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll start from the edges, carefully unraveling the points where it’s pinned. If we do it right, it should collapse in on itself and disappear. Is that the way you see it?”

  “Yes. But the difference between the relative magic levels must be taken into account as well. Otherwise, there is risk of Calanar’s greater power leaking through before we have sealed the intersection points.”

  Stone looked at him in surprise. He was right. “Bloody hell, Harrison, you mentioned once that you thought I had more magical training than you did. But your portal skills impress me.”

  “My skills are more…self-taught, for the most part. But now is not the time to discuss it. If we’re in agreement about what must be done, I suggest we begin.”

  “Please step away from the portal, both of you,” said another voice from behind them.

  28

  Stone didn’t whirl this time, and neither did Harrison.

  “Bloody hell…” he murmured. “I was afraid of this.”

  Both of them turned around.

  A figure stood twenty feet away, next to a tall tree. It was too dark to see more than basic detail: the figure was tall, male, and dressed in simple clothes.

  “Step away from the portal,” the newcomer repeated. “I won’t ask again.”

  “Do you know this man, Dr. Stone?” Harrison asked. He didn’t seem disturbed by his presence.

  “Not sure yet.” Louder, he called, “Who are you? What do you want?”

  The man stepped forward, raising a faint light spell around his right hand. “We meet again, scion. I was under the impression you had been warned.”

  Now, in the light, Stone had no trouble identifying him: he was the same man who’d appeared in Wyoming, the one who’d threatened to kill Verity’s ex-girlfriend Kyla if Stone closed the rift there. He had blond hair, a pleasant, bland face, and the calm demeanor of someone who knew he had the upper hand.

  “This isn’t your concern,” Stone said. “This one’s different.”

  “Different.” The man considered. His gaze shifted to Harrison. “Who is this man?”

  When Harrison didn’t reply, Stone said, “An associate. You don’t need to know who he is. All you need to know is this doesn’t concern you.”

  “Of course it concerns me, scion.” His eyes narrowed. “As I said, I thought you were warned. Even though I disagreed with the decision to do so, I at least believed it might convince you not to meddle in things you do not understand.”

  Next to Stone, Harrison glanced between him and the man. Still he said nothing.

  That wasn’t necessarily good. Stone swallowed, feeling like he was standing between two lit powderkegs, and wondering which one would go off first.

  “I told you,” he said, “this isn’t the same kind of case.” He wondered if the oath would allow him to discuss the rifts with someone who already knew about them. Another thought struck him, and a chill ran up his body: this rift had appeared on Desmond’s globe, so either its purpose wasn’t confined to tracking the intersectional rifts, or else the two types shared enough in common that this interloper wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

  That would make things much more difficult.

  “You have said that before,” the man said. “What do you mean by ‘different’?”

  “I know why you’re here. What you’re trying to stop. But this isn’t it.”

  “We are wasting time,” Harrison said. His calm, inflectionless voice held
a hint of cold resolve.

  The newcomer’s gaze flicked to him and then away, as if he were of no importance to the discussion. “Explain,” he said to Stone.

  “There isn’t much to explain. I know why you don’t want us to close this portal. But you don’t have all the facts. You’re right—I was warned. I understand. But I’m telling you—in this case it doesn’t apply. You need to go, and let us get on with this.”

  “I cannot do that, scion. I said before that I would not say it again, but because of who you are, I will give you one final chance. Step away from the rift, and leave this place. Take your associate with you, and do not return.”

  “Unacceptable,” Harrison said.

  “Let me handle this,” Stone murmured.

  Once again, the man ignored Harrison and spoke to Stone. “You might think you have the upper hand, because you managed to best me at our last meeting. I was unprepared then. You will not find me so again.”

  “You can’t attack me. You said so yourself. I haven’t got a clue about why, and I still don’t know what this ‘scion’ rubbish is about, but you can’t attack me unprovoked.”

  “That is true,” the man admitted. “Protocols must be observed. But your associate is under no such protection. Come now, scion—we have been through this before. Do you want to risk his life, as you risked those of your apprentice and her friend last time?”

  Stone risked a quick glance at Harrison. He still stood silent and calm, but something in his eyes disturbed Stone. It wasn’t anywhere near the level of rage he’d seen when Harrison had been a prisoner in Temolan and the Talented had injured Errin, but the faint edges of it were growing.

  “Bad choice,” he said to the man quickly, hoping to stave off a disaster. “Trust me, you don’t want to do that. Look—I give you my word, this isn’t something you need to be concerned with. Just go and let us get on with it. I can explain it to you later if you like.”

  The man held his gaze for a few more seconds, then shifted to focus on the portal itself. “Interesting,” he said under his breath. “This is like no other I have encountered. The similarities are there, but you are correct—this does not seem to be an intersection. Not in the usual way, in any case.”

  “Score one for smug and mysterious,” Stone said, relieved. “You see it, don’t you? Whatever organization you’re part of, making sure your little pet rifts don’t get disturbed before they’ve done their thing, this isn’t one of them. So you can be on your way. Go on—off you go.” He made a shooing motion. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized the oath wasn’t taking issue with what he was saying, which was more than he thought he could get away with. Thank the gods for small favors, he supposed. Now if he could just keep Harrison from doing something they’d all regret—

  Something changed in the man’s expression. “This is fascinating,” he murmured. It seemed as if he was now talking to himself. He paced back and forth in front of Stone, Harrison, and the portal, examining it while ignoring both of them. “It appears to be fixed in place—a stable gateway between two planes. I sense great power on the other side…but also…a strange instability. And…something familiar.”

  Stone could almost feel Harrison’s intensity growing next to him. “We’re closing this,” he told the newcomer. “It’s not your concern. I wouldn’t try to stop us if I were you.”

  The man chuckled. “Empty threats, scion. And I think not. You are correct—this is not the usual type of rift with which I am normally concerned. But it is still of great interest to me, and requires further study.” He cast a curious glance at Stone. “Could it be…that this energy and the power you demonstrated at our last meeting could be related? Fascinating indeed. I wonder what I might find on the other side…”

  Apparently, Harrison had finally had his fill of being ignored. “Dr. Stone, enough. Assist me in closing this portal, or I will do it myself.”

  “You are amusing,” the man said, finally acknowledging his presence. He raised a hand and gestured at Harrison.

  “No—!” Stone yelled.

  Whatever the man had intended to do to Harrison, it didn’t work. His eyes widened in surprise. “What—”

  He didn’t get to finish his sentence, because a sheet of blue fire hit him in the midsection, knocking him over and driving him back into a thick tree with a meaty crack.

  “Harrison, no!” Stone called. “Don’t—”

  The man must have been correct about his level of preparation last time. He picked himself off the ground and rose, eyes smoldering with rage. He pointed both hands at Harrison and let loose with twin spikes of magical energy.

  Oh, bloody hell…

  The beams hit Harrison, tracing the edges of a shield surrounding him. The shield glowed white for a second, and Harrison’s jaw tightened as he reinforced it, but it held. He made a slashing motion with his hand, and the other man roared as his own shield flared against the attack.

  “Damn it, stop!” Stone yelled. “Come on, you two—we can settle this like civilized people!”

  It didn’t appear either of them was listening, though. All around, the trees lit up with unnatural glows as the two powerful mages dug in and flung punishing spells at each other. Harrison stayed near the portal, and Stone wasn’t sure it was because he didn’t want to let the newcomer get close, or because he was pulling extra power from the open connection to Calanar.

  Either way, he didn’t seem to be tiring. Throughout the battle, he retained his expression of deadly calm. Whatever blooming rage Stone had spotted before was gone now, replaced by cold, merciless resolve.

  His opponent was another story. The blond man seemed astonished that someone he’d overlooked as a nonentity was holding his own against him—not only holding his own, but slowly, inexorably driving him back.

  Stone looked on, astonished at the level of magical power these two were throwing around. He’d seen Harrison in action before, but who was this other guy? What connection did he have to Kolinsky? What was the shadowy cabal they both belonged to, and where the hell did they get all this power?

  He couldn’t simply stand here and let them go at each other. He had to pick a side, and hopefully do something to end this fight before the two of them tore up the area, or each other, or somebody got tossed through the portal into the manastorm. Whoever this guy was, Stone didn’t think even he deserved that kind of fate.

  He looked back and forth between the two of them. The newcomer seemed to be growing angrier as they went on, losing his composure as he threw magic in more and more erratic patterns. His attacks hit Harrison, the portal, even the trees, sending massive limbs crashing down from above. Harrison, meanwhile, remained as precise and focused as ever, aiming punishing magical blows at the man’s center mass like a cop taking down a suspect.

  Did the man ever get riled?

  “Enough!” Stone shouted. “Listen to me! I’m closing this bloody thing. You can’t stop me!” He threw a harsh glare at the newcomer, challenging him to refute his words. Heart pounding hard, he deliberately turned his back on the battle and focused on the portal.

  “No!” the man roared. “You will not!”

  Something smashed into Stone like a truck, flinging him sideways and blasting him into a tree. If he hadn’t had his shield up, the blow would have killed him.

  Well, maybe.

  The jury was still out on that.

  But either way, it hurt like hell.

  He twisted around, panting, his ribs lighting up with pain.

  So much for not attacking scions.

  Apparently, it was possible for Harrison to lose his cool. Eyes blazing with fury, he pointed both hands at the blond newcomer and let loose.

  The twin blasts of pure Calanarian energy made the magic he’d been slinging before look like party tricks by comparison. They slammed into the man’s shield and kept coming, taking it from white to pink to glowing, incandescent red.

  And then it popped and disappeared, and the man threw his head
back and screamed as the energy ripped into him.

  An instant later he disappeared, his scream cutting abruptly off.

  The clearing was once more plunged into near-darkness. The screams and crashing branches and ripping sounds of magic hitting trees ceased. The only things that remained were Stone’s and Harrison’s harsh breathing and a faint smell of ozone lingering in the air.

  Harrison stayed where he was, scanning the clearing for signs of any other interlopers. The burning rage was gone now, as quickly as it had come. He looked tense, but calm.

  “Are you all right, Dr. Stone?” The slight rasp in his voice gave him away—that fight had taken more out of him than he was willing to admit.

  Stone took inventory, using the tree to drag himself up. His ribs hurt, but not with the sharp pain indicating something was broken. “I think so.” He blinked. “He…attacked me. He wasn’t supposed to do that.”

  “I would ask you why, but I suspect you won’t tell me. Come. If you are well enough, we must close this portal before anyone else returns. If not, I can do it myself.”

  “No, no, it’s all right.” Stone was concerned about that, too. Had Harrison killed the newcomer, or had he simply popped away like he’d done last time? It wouldn’t be wise to assume the former, and if he was still alive, who knew how quickly he could recover his strength and return—perhaps with reinforcements? “Let’s do this.”

  Closing the rift took longer than Stone had predicted, partially because both he and Harrison maintained careful vigilance for the blond man or any other visitors. The process proved complex but not overly so, requiring care and precision but presenting no surprises. By the time he and Harrison tied the last loose ends on their respective sides and the portal lost its structural integrity and winked out, Stone’s ribs felt like someone had been squeezing them in a vise.

  He sank down against the tree, letting out a long, relieved sigh. “That’s done, then,” he said. “No more fear that somebody from Calanar will find us here.”

  “Not this time.” Harrison remained standing, looking out over the clearing and into the darkness. “But that is not your concern. I will deal with it from my own side.”